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Seattle

Architecture tours reveal gems of city

IF YOU GO

Seattle architecture tours occur three to four times a week, mostly on Thursdays, Fridays,
Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets cost $15 in advance, or $25 on the day of the tour. Call
206-667-9184 or visit
www.seattlearchitecture.org.

The Seattle Architecture Foundation has added three new tours to the roster.One new tour reveals
some of downtown’s best-kept secrets, taking guests to a variety of parks, art galleries and rest
areas that, although privately owned, are free and open to all.

“We’re going to try to let people know that these spaces exist and are available for the public
to use,” said Stacy Segal, executive director of the nonprofit foundation.

Another tour looks at the newer generations of buildings that cropped up around the Queen Anne
neighborhood’s historic mansions.

The third new tour, “Purple and Gold,” explores architecture from every era of the University of
Washington, from the earliest Gothic halls to the modern additions.

The tours aim for a wide audience by making architecture relatable, Segal said.

Professionals find the tours valuable, too.

After taking the downtown trek, which included the Smith Tower, Seattle architect Evelyn Bravata
said: “The tour whetted my appetite, because despite the fact that I’m a longtime Seattle resident
and architect, I’ve never been in that building.”

Some of the neighborhood tours focus more on the here and now. One tour guide, Katie Kemezis,
said she encourages attendees to apply their interest in architecture toward community planning
when she leads her tour of South Lake Union.

“I hope to inspire people to think twice about the sidewalk they’re walking down,” she said, “or
the development that’s going in across the street, or a land-use measure that’s on their
ballot."